Article projecting simulated bat



Feb. 24, 1970 D. K. MILLER 3,496,924

ARTICLE PROJECT-INC! SIMULATED BAT Filed July 31. 1967 FIG 2 DEAN K. MILLER By INVENTOR BUC/(HOR/V, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,496,924 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 3,496,924 ARTICLE PROJECTING SIMULATED BAT Dean K. Miller, Halfway, Oreg., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Leylold-Heraeus-Verwaltung GmbH, C- logne-Bayenthal, Germany Filed July 31, 1967, Ser. No. 657,338 Int. Cl. F4111 3/04; F41f 7/00 US. Cl. 124-5 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a throwing bat, and more particularly to an end discharge throwing bat.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved throwing bat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved end discharge throwing bat.

A further object of the invention is to provide an end throwing bat which selectively releases a ball being thrown.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hollow bat adapted to roll a ball out of the end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bat having a latch adapted to be released by an actuator on a handle thereof to permit a ball to be thrown out of the end of the bat.

The invention provides a throwing bat having a reduced handle portion and an outer barrel portion adapted to roll a ball out the end when the bat is swung. Preferably a latch holds the ball in the bat until a sliding actuator at the handle is operated to release the latch, and the outer end portion of the bat preferably is open at the side to permit side loading of the ball.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of a throwing bat forming one embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a throwing bat forming one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal section of the throwing bat of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a throwing bat forming one embodiment of the invention includes a generally tubular, baseball bat shaped member 11 of fiber glass reinforced plastic material having a hollow handle 12 to be gripped like a handle of a baseball bat. A ball 14, which may be a baseball and is slightly smaller in diameter than a tubular portion or barrel 15, is inserted through a loading opening 16 at the side of the bat while a latch 17 is in its releasing position as shown in broken lines in FIG. 2. The ball is rolled down an elongated, channel-like cylindrical guide portion 20 of the barrel until it engages a stop pin 22 extending across a holding or socket portion 24. The user then slides an actuator or trigger 26 to its extreme lefthand position, as viewed in FIG. 2, which, through a wire link 28, pulls the latch from its release position shown in broken lines to its latched or holding position shown in full lines in which the latch holds the ball against the stop pin 22.

To throw the ball, the user grips the handle 12 with a finger or thumb engaging the actuator 26. The user swings the bat with the ball and, just before the desired point of release, pushes a slide button 46 of the actuator 26 forwardly along the handle and the wire 28 swings a plate 33 of the latch 17 to its release position shown in broken lines. The ball then, by centrifugal action, is rolled along the guide portion 20 to and out of the end of the bat with a velocity proportional to the speed with which the bat is swung, and in the direction in which the bat extends at the time the ball leaves the bat. If it is desired to throw curves, either or both the ball and the surface of the guide portion 20 are made with good frictional surfaces to spin the ball rapidly as it is thrown. If it is desired to throw a straight ball, at least one of the ball and the guide portion 20 is provided with a very low friction surface.

The slide button 46 of the actuator 26 has a slide 44 splined in a slot 45 extending along the handle, and a bolt 30 secured to the button and a nut 42 secure a retaining slide plate 36 having rounded ends 38 to the slide 44. A pivot connection 34 secures one end of the wire 28 to the slide plate 36. The wire 28, except for its end portions, is slidable in a guide tube 30 fixed to the inside of the member 11. The other end of the wire 28 is secured by a pivot connection 32 to the plate 33 of the latch 17. The plate 33 is pivotally mounted on a pintle 52 carried by a hinge plate 56 embedded in and fixed to the member 11. A vent hole 54 is provided to admit air while the ball is thrown.

If desired, the loading opening 16 may be omitted and the barrel be a full cylinder throughout its length. In this construction, the bat is muzzle loaded. Also, instead of the opening 16 extending to the other end of the bat as shown, the opening may be circular and located just beyond the latch 17. The ball 14 preferably is slightly less in diameter than the interior of the barrel.

The above-described bat enables the user to release the ball precisely so that the throw is very accurate. The bat also can be used to throw curves or to throw straight balls. The bat is simple, rugged and well-balanced with the ball located about halfway between the ends of the bat.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a throwing bat,

an elongated member having a handle at one end and an elongated barrel extending away from the handle to the other end of the member adapted to receive a ball and to throw the ball out of the end of the barrel,

the barrel being axially open at the muzzle end thereof and having a socket at the other end thereof opening toward the muzzle end of the barrel,

the barrel being of a substantially uniform internal diameter and having a length at least several times the diameter thereof and having a loading opening at one side thereof between the socket and the muzzle end of the barrel,

latch means projecting into the barrel for retaining the ball in the socket,

said latch means when actuated to release the ball from the socket leaving the barrel unobstructed so thtt the ball will be free to travel out the muzzle of the barrel,

and gripping hand-operated actuator means at the handle for releasing the latch means.

2. The throwing bat of claim 5 including stop means in the bat forming the handle end of the socket for 1imit-' ing movement of the ball toward the handle and comprising a pin extending across the interior of the tubular baseball bat member.

3. The throwing bat of claim 1 wherein the latch means includes a latch member movable into and out of the exit path of the ball,

the actuator means including pushbutton means on the handle and coupling means interconnecting the latch means and the pushbutton means.

4. The throwing bat of claim 3 wherein the coupling means includes a wire link and guide means in the member slidably mounting the wire link.

5. The throwing bat of claim 1 wherein the elongated member is a tubular baseball bat shaped member open at its outer end and comprising fiber glass reinforced plastic material.

6. The throwing hat of claim 5 wherein the elongated member has a vent opening in the handle thereof;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner 15 WILLIAM R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 124--41 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,496,924 February 24, 1970 Dean K. Miller It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 to 5, "Dean K. Miller, Halfway, Oreg., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Leylold-Heraeus-Verwaltung GmbH, Cologne-Bayenthal, Germany" should read Dean K. Miller, R.R. #216, Halfway, Oreg. 97834 Signed and sealed this 5th day of January 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

